Most entries ever for Norway Spring Classic

Nearly 500 people register

April 28, 2014

Article Photos

Jo Anna Deuter PhotosRunners take off at the start of the two-mile fun run during Saturday’s Norway Classic. The 34th annual event saw its largest turnout ever despite overcast skies and chilly conditions at the start.

While 270 participants pre-registered, another couple hundred showed up on Saturday, meaning 498 people took part in the 10K, 5K, 2-mile run/walk and eight-mile bike ride.

"It's more than we've ever had," race director Tony Adams said.

A number of behind the scenes glitches leading up to and on race day could have derailed the efforts of Adams and all the volunteers, but the event went off in fine fashion.

"We had amazing smoothness," Adams said. "The staggered start worked perfectly. The Norway Spring Classic was a beautiful success because of the selfless giving of all the volunteers that helped."

In the main event of the morning, the 10K race, it was a pair of repeat champions crossing the line first. Dan DeLong of Norway, a track coach at Escanaba, was the overall winner with a time of 40 minutes, six seconds.

"I felt good, trained pretty hard," he said. "I felt a little tweak in my calf about three miles in. I got up the first hill and it was hurting a little bit on me."

DeLong, finishing more than a half minute ahead of any other male runner, battled through the strain and found his only challenge for the lead coming from defending female champion Amy Janeshek of Hancock. Janeshek, a 1987 Kingsford High School graduate, finished in 40:13.6 to claim her fifth women's title in six years - the only missing year being 2011 when she missed Norway to run in the Boston Marathon.

"I looked back after five miles and saw Amy coming," DeLong said. "That gave me a little bit of inspiration to try to keep it up. She is a tough runner. I always wanted to win this once, and to win it twice, it's great. I just want to come here and run my time. If you win it, you win it."

DeLong said his goal was to break 40 minutes.

"I was just a little bit shy, so I am happy," he said.

Janeshek was the fastest women by more than two minutes.

"I felt like I was closing in (on Dan) but didn't quite get there," she said. "I felt like I was running a little bit faster than my time actually was, but it's more about being out there and seeing friendly faces and people I know.

"This was another great day, I love this race. Thanks to Tony (Adams) and everybody for being here to put it on."

Janeshek, who has run some 25 marathons, is planning a low-key summer. Her next event will be the Bellin 10K in June.

"I don't have a whole lot planned out," she said. "I have a son graduating this year. I might try another marathon in the fall. right now, it's more about seeing people I know and just having fun."

Iron Mountain's Dan Carey won the 5k in 20:14.9. Norway's Kyra Johnson was the female winner in 22:36.6. Two-mile winners were Norway's Micah Wilson (13-14 year old age group) for the males in 15:17.8 and Iron Mountain's Brooke Pomroy (9-10 year old age group) for the females in 18:35.3.

Organizers ran out of registration forms and bibs due the high amount of race-day sign-ups. Adams credited the efforts of Kristi Cazzola, Perry Beyer, Gail Cavalieri and the YAC group in Norway, Pam Powell, Diane Vanderlin and the folks at Superior Timing among a long list of other volunteers for helping overcome those hiccups and others in order to make the event run as smooth as it did.